The mushroom and cheese pizza at Venus Pie Trap.

Morning Lookout: Another big housing development, life-changing pie & a prolific pupuseria

By Will McCahill

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Hiya, folks! It’s Friday, Sept. 16, and the forecast calls for gradual clearing around Santa Cruz County, with highs ranging from the upper 60s to the low 80s. And — fingers crossed and keep doing those rain dances — some actual precipitation could be coming our way:

And there’s plenty to lay out for you. Another large, mixed-use housing project is in the planning stages near the corner of Water Street and North Branciforte Avenue in Santa Cruz, and Max Chun has the details.

This being Friday, we’ve got another healthy helping of Eaters Digest, with Lily Belli reporting on an Aptos collaboration between Bonny Doon Vineyards and Ser Winery, a life-changing visit to Venus Pie Trap and much more.

Sticking to the local food scene, Thomas Sawano has the latest in our Farmers Market Fridays series, profiling the prolific Dos Hermanos Pupuseria. (And if you haven’t checked out our definitive guide to Santa Cruz County farmers markets, now is an excellent time.)

Cabrillo College is back in session and UC Santa Cruz starts up next week, and that means Student Lookout is back, with Max rounding up deals, events and more, plus a great reason to head to Nisene Marks.

And I somehow got this far in without mentioning Wallace Baine’s Weekender, but fear not — you’ll find that recommendation-packed roundup of the local arts and entertainment scene and other headlines of the day if you read along.

County Bank PROMOTED CONTENT ROADBLOCK (Farm Discovery welcomes students)

In the shadow of 831 Water, large mixed-use housing project shows how much change is in motion

Rendering of the Stanford Studios project proposed for parcels between Branciforte, Water, and Stanford

The Argus Company, a small used-car dealership, could be seeing a grand new neighbor in the coming years, as yet another Water Street mixed-use project enters the early stages of planning. The public response to the 105-unit proposal is just beginning. Get the details from Max Chun.

Doon to Earth, pie mania — and the truth about Gayle’s

Bonny Doon Vineyard and Ser Winery are teaming up to open a joint tasting room in Aptos this fall.

Bonny Doon Vineyard will team up with Ser Winery to open a tasting room in Aptos, plus a life-changing slice of pie at Venus Pie Trap and Gayle Ortiz puts a rumor to rest. It’s all here in Lily Belli’s latest Eaters Digest.

Santa Cruz METRO PROMOTED CONTENT ROADBLOCK (Protecting Monterey Bay one wrapped bus and ride at a time)

DAILY DIGEST

Santa Cruz County Job Board

That ought to give you a good running start toward the weekend. There’s always more in the pipeline, though, so bookmark Lookout and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the know. You can also sign up for text alerts and other newsletters, including our specially curated Sunday Reads, by clicking right here.

And we couldn’t do any of this without community support — so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.

Enjoy your Friday, have a safe, relaxing weekend — and take it easy out there on the roads if that rain does show up!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz

Morning Lookout: Another big housing development, life-changing pie & a prolific pupuseria

In the shadow of 831 Water, large mixed-use housing project shows how much change is in motion

Doon to Earth, pie mania — and the truth about Gayle’s

Dos Hermanos Pupuseria serves simple food that works — four types of pupusas served alongside curtido slaw and a fiery...

The $9.5 billion California tax refund program will provide one-time payments of up to $1,050 for some families.

From flowers to monster trucks, thrill rides to cowboys showing off their roping skills, a beloved tradition is back at...